Australia Fleurieu Syrah/Shiraz & Syrah Blends McLaren Vale

Australia Fleurieu Syrah/Shiraz & Syrah Blends McLaren Vale

Whilst most of Australia consists of arid deserts and dense bushland, the oceanic coasts to the south of the country have a terrain and climate ideal for vine cultivation and wine production. It took several decades of failed attempts at the end of the 18th century in order to produce vines of a decent enough quality for making wine, but since those first false starts, the Australian wine industry has continued to grow and grow. Today, wine production makes up for a considerable part of the Australian economy, with exports in recent years reaching unprecedented levels and even overtaking France for the first time ever. Whilst the greatest successes in regards to quality have been the result of the Syrah grape varietal (known locally as Shiraz), Australia utilizes several Old World grapes, and has had fantastic results from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and more. As the Australian passion for locally produced wine continues to develop, wineries have begun experimenting with a wider range of grape varietals, meaning that nowadays it isn't uncommon to find high quality Australian wines made from Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Viognier, amongst many others.The Fleurieu peninsula is a stunning region of south Australia, located close to Adelaide and constantly drawing attention to itself over recent years due to its international status as an 'up and coming' wine region. Indeed, there has been much excitement over the wines produced in Fleurieu during the past decade, as this relatively small and unusual peninsula has consistently been producing many of the most flavorful and accessible red wines ever to come out of Australia. Thanks to its Mediterranean style climate, the vines in Fleurieu are able to produce fully ripened fruit each year, and the climatic conditions allow vintners plenty of flexibility when it comes to their wine making methods. Whilst the region is still primarily producing Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon wines, there has been much successful innovation and experimentation with a wide range of grape varietals over recent years, and we can expect to see and hear much more from Fleurieu in the near future.

The most important grape of the Northern Rhone Valley, Syrah is quickly becoming one of the most noted grapes planted in America. America's best bottlings hail from the Central Coast, Santa Barbara, Sonoma County and Napa Valley. Syrah displays a spicy blend of black pepper and raspberries, with dark fruit undertones; full-bodied with smoke, tar and tannins. It is made into a few magnificent varietally labeled wines, but is also often the base grape for Rhone-style blends. There are those who believe that the Napa Valley should be planted mostly to Syrah, for it thrives in warm growing regions. In Australia, where it is the most-planted red variety, and in South Africa, the grape is known as Shiraz. While viticulturally identical with Syrah, Shiraz grown in Australia is typically sweeter and riper, with more chocolately notes than pepper and spices.